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“[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”
The novel “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” became one of the biggest bestsellers of the 21st century, has been adapted into numerous films, and now, more than two decades after its first publication, is considered a classic. Albeit a rather dark classic. Well, now meet a much more peaceful version: “The Teen with the Cat Tattoo!”
But seriously, our narrator today is an Aussie teen who loves her mom and her two cats dearly. She’s long dreamed of paying homage to her fluffy friends with a nice tattoo, but the problem is, her mom actually hates tattoos. And the daughter really doesn’t want to upset her mom.
More info: Reddit
RELATED:
They say that any adult person can make decisions regarding piercings, tattoos, and whatnot on their own, but reality says something else
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/getting-tattoo-knowing-upset-mom-stock3.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
Image credits: vh-studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author of the post is a 19-year-old Aussie who lives with her parents and studies at the university
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/10c50347-4147-4f6a-991c-6fd2ba0d4455.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/06cf95d2-1a83-4254-8304-705a97fc1a7b.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/author_5091b8fb431636936d3e2fc9c90b4ecb.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/getting-tattoo-knowing-upset-mom-stock2.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
Image credits: ArthurHidden / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The teen also has two wonderful cats, and she wants to pay homage to them by making a tattoo depicting them together
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/d87dffcf-2d92-40ee-85ae-920070e50417.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/b43ed699-7c89-46e1-8935-e48f3cea6f09.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/e89555e2-3b77-4b00-b9a4-6083ff6ef785.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/getting-tattoo-knowing-upset-mom-stock5.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The author knows a great tattoo artist who can make this tattoo easily, but the problem is that she doesn’t want to disappoint her mom as well
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9fef61e0-aa64-421d-a8ce-18ea94af7c38.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/eca28fd4-5c0b-4734-8cfb-ba0a3e286c8b.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2afa8ffe-e3a7-480d-847d-e63397678429.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/getting-tattoo-knowing-upset-mom-stock4.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author’s mom hates tattoos and piercings, and when the daughter recently got her eyebrow pierced, she gave her an almost week-long silent treatment
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/b92f0f00-49a1-45ec-a547-cb13ea21d91f.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/author_dc62b0afa660bcffc55058fec3614182.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/author_e05a3edf985945f313d298707a54759b.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/159b7d9c-ab51-4b97-a5a6-9cf17296ca2e.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/getting-tattoo-knowing-upset-mom-stock6.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
Image credits: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Meanwhile, all the other author’s relatives, even her 89-year-old grandma, are absolutely okay about tattoos, and have supported her
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/40babcd6-ee4d-448e-bb38-4662f5a442c0.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/26ebe269-cba3-4411-858d-dc66b394dce6.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/59769ecf-62ab-4f36-8b1b-d6d9942d1842.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/author_b2060d52e9df1ed3e92020a7bdf211d2.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/getting-tattoo-knowing-upset-mom-stock7.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
So, a few days ago, the teen went to the tattoo studio, and finally got her first one – of her beloved kitties
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/f2a6e6ba-cbc3-43d6-a0e3-a18bdf51eed4.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/b2b96dc5-9016-4fd6-ad3e-fab96c7706ca.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/author_fc7b4c85ed8c5f75ecb4c72e3582b8e5.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/author_bae127d40ae163345e7e1a957405b367.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/getting-tattoo-knowing-upset-mom-stock8.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The fluffy friends look nice and lovely on the teen’s arm, and this will be a great memory of them for years
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/author_cac11da9b48ef29514498de559d2c9e8.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/author_5f947726f8a52547e7498c83c8b9ab95.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/5720cbb0-1bbf-4734-ace2-22211b94248c.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/37e8fe5f-653c-4153-8fff-632936bf2b47.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/getting-tattoo-knowing-upset-mom-stock9.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The parents… well, they were quite disappointed, but they actually accepted the reality
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/author_0f899004363cfaf4716a06435eaf24ab.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/8bfbf1bc-79e9-4b96-8897-40116934b4c4.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/89a4e635-744d-4b07-9d33-0c58a3130946.png "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
Image credits: silver_springs27
After all, the author always said her mom loves her, so the motherly love overcame any prejudices
Okay, the Original poster (OP) lives in Australia. She’s 19 years old, studies at university, and has a part-time job. Our heroine has two wonderful cats, and she’s long wanted to leave a lasting memory of them in the form of her first tattoo. A great idea, you say? Well, our heroine’s mother doesn’t see it that way.
No, don’t be so quick to dismiss the mom as a home tyrant. The author says they’re literally best friends, and she loves her very much. However, both of the OP’s parents are quite conservative and have negative attitudes toward both piercings and tattoos. For instance, when the teen recently got an eyebrow piercing, her mom gave her the silent treatment for a few days.
The most interesting thing is that all of our heroine’s other relatives, even her 89-year-old grandma, are fine with tattoos, and her auntie has some as well. Overall, the author is sure that getting a tattoo would be a wonderful idea, and two cute cats would look beautiful on her arm – she just doesn’t want to upset her mom again.
The OP explains that she was quite a late child, so her parents are now quite elderly, not, say, millennials, for whom tattoos have always been something commonplace. Moreover, her mom still believes that tattoos are only appropriate for former prisoners or military personnel, as strange as that may sound. So, the OP decided to take it online and seek advice.
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/getting-tattoo-knowing-upset-mom-stock1.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
Image credits: silver_springs27 / Reddit
Do you think modern society is much more relaxed and tolerant about tattoos? Absolutely not! At least when it comes to their kids, parents exhibit completely different views. For example, according to this national poll on children’s health, 78% of parents surveyed would flatly refuse to allow a 16- or 17-year-old to get a tattoo.
Yes, parents recognize that adulthood is a time when their offspring can make their own decisions about their own bodies, but they still tend to discourage even adult children from getting tattoos. The main concerns, as this Reuters article shows, are the potential health risks, aesthetics, and the fear that future employers might view the tattoos negatively as well.
In any case, if the person is already of age, parents are advised not to engage in any mind games but to discuss openly and rationally all the pros and cons with their adult child, as this Harvard Health article notes. “When it comes to a decision like a tattoo, the biggest job of a parent is to reinforce that impulsivity,” the source says reasonably.
Anyway, people in the comments massively supported the original poster, and in an update, she revealed that she finally got a tattoo, and her parents, albeit with some disapproval, still accepted her decision. Let’s hope that everything in this family remains calm, peaceful, and harmonious. And what do you, our dear readers, think about this story?
Most commenters gave the teen their fullest support and praised her for now having such a cute tattoo
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/comment_42a8e351e133c895d633acba9b3891e4.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/comment_863edce53e988db0497dd6cb0026a979.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/comment_8a1d35f3cac9ef1cc42df41991134e3c.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/comment_962909b89238568095e9c2825937c83b.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
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!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/comment_eed7262f679a6eca4d4bcc9196d7679a.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
!["[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/comment_12b0475985111af74fec75f2e88f233a.jpg "\"[Am I The Jerk] For Getting A Tattoo Knowing It Will Upset My Mum?”")
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What do you think ?
The_Nicest_Misanthrope 40 minutes ago
Every time my brother gets a tattoo, my parents ask questions about it and say how nice it looks. When I get a new one, they remind me how much they hate tattoos on women. 😤
Squirrelly Panda 2 days ago
I personally dislike tattoos and do not understand why anyone chooses to get face tattoos. That said, their body, their choice. I will never judge anyone for getting tattoos.
GatorGran 2 days ago (edited)
OP's parents sound a lot like mine when I was growing up. Disapproval, guilt, shame - the whole works. Personally, I never wanted a tattoo, but if it makes someone else happy, isn't that what matters? I doubt the family name will be smeared because of a tattoo..The parents sounds like AH's.
The_Nicest_Misanthrope 40 minutes ago
Every time my brother gets a tattoo, my parents ask questions about it and say how nice it looks. When I get a new one, they remind me how much they hate tattoos on women. 😤
Squirrelly Panda 2 days ago
I personally dislike tattoos and do not understand why anyone chooses to get face tattoos. That said, their body, their choice. I will never judge anyone for getting tattoos.
GatorGran 2 days ago (edited)
OP's parents sound a lot like mine when I was growing up. Disapproval, guilt, shame - the whole works. Personally, I never wanted a tattoo, but if it makes someone else happy, isn't that what matters? I doubt the family name will be smeared because of a tattoo..The parents sounds like AH's.
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